Landscape paintings by famous 19th-century artists of Franconia Notch, the summit of Mount Washington, the Northern Presidential Range, Conway region and Crawford Notch are the focus of the first exhibition, Passing Through: The Allure of the White Mountains.

Hikers, artists and historians who visit the museum or who review archives online will be able to download global positioning system coordinates for where the paintings were created, many over a century ago.

There will also be opportunities for White Mountain visitors to learn about the art and history of the region as the new museum becomes a repository and teaching facility on the campus of Plymouth State University.

The university received grant funding to acquire and refurbish a former church on Highland Street in Plymouth just up the hill from the Lamson Library and about a mile in from Interstate 93 near the gateway of the White Mountain Region. A second phase will add more space for the collection and for classroom and lecture space.

In keeping with the university’s core mission and goals, the museum will preserve and promote the unique history, culture and environmental legacy of the region.

Plymouth State University President Sara Jayne Steen said Monday that the new museum is a natural extension of the university’s duty to serve the region.

"This opens to the world, the treasure of the White Mountains," she said at a gallery preview for the media.

"We know what a resource like this can mean and we are very excited about the partnerships we are developing," to connect with the outdoor community, Steen said.

Images: The Museum of the White Mountains opening soon

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Opening a window to the rugged "White Hills," The Museum of the White Mountains opens for the first time to the public Saturday at noon.

The MWM brings art, history, literature, science, tourism and more together to create a transdisciplinary understanding and experience of the White Mountains region, both physically and virtually, said museum director Catherine Amidon.

An avid hiker herself, Amidon said she loves that the works in the museum will be able to used by visitors to have a deeper understanding of their location and meaning over time.

“The museum is not just a place; it is a gateway to experience. It is a site to share knowledge, sublime experience, and personal connection. The educational experience starts outside from the growing interpretive trail that leads visitors into the museum; they are then encouraged to venture into the region with GPS coordinates that connect displays and culturally significant sites.”

For example, Frank Sharpleigh's magnificent 1879 portrait of the Notch House in Crawford Notch hangs in a place of prominence in the 2,000 square-foot gallery.It looks at first as if it is painted from the location of the Appalachain Mountain Club's Crawford Notch Visitors Center, but in fact, it is closer to the railroad station. A GPS coordinate, available on line, shows the spot where Sharpleigh painted it more than 130 years ago.

Among the collections already acquired by the museum are:-- Archives and images, including rare glass-plate photographs, stereoscopic images, hotel ledgers, postcards and more donated by the late Dan Noel.-- A comprehensive collection early and first edition as well as more recent books and guides about the region from John W. (Jack) and Anne H. Newton.-- White Mountains art by women artists such as Frances ‘Dolly’ MacIntyre.-- Images and collectables from the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel from Steve Barba.

The gallery will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. beginning this weekend and will be a big hit for the thousands of hikers who come to the region this summer.

During the academic year, school groups will be able to attend Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Wednesday, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, Noon - 5 p.m. It will be closed on Mondays.

In addition, MWM will be closed both Monday and Tuesday during the summer.

The renovations of the former Methodist Church lend themselves well to a gallery, with marvelous natural light.

Designed by the architectural firm Barba and Wheelock, the construction was managed by Bauen Corporation in Meredith.

Dr. Marcia Blaine, the first PSU faculty fellow to work on the museum said she studied a period of history in the White Mountains from 1830 to 1890, to learn about the impact of space, time and change on the region, and found that while the first visitors were very wealthy and stayed and explored for longer periods of time, access by train helped to "democratize" the region for those who were not as wealthy but wanted to experience and explore the vast wooded and mountainous region for themselves.

She noted that a single event propelled many to see the site of the 1826 Willey Slide in Crawford Notch, in which nine people died, but the buildings remained.

"All across America, people heard about the slide and wanted to go to that place," she said.

From geologists, to artists, to outdoor enthusiasts, the White Mountains has a mysterious and ominous sort of allure.

Works of Winslow Homer, Benjamin Champney, Ferdinand Richardt and Samuel Gerry are included in the collection on display.